Jetliner goes through fence in snowy Midway landing

December 09, 2005

CHICAGO (AP) -- A jetliner trying to land in heavy snow slid off a runway at Midway International Airport, crashed through the boundary fence and slid into a busy street, hitting one vehicle and pinning another beneath it. No injuries were immediately reported on the plane. Two people on the ground were hospitalized, officials said. The passengers used inflatable slides to get out of the plane in the blowing snow. According to the FAA, 90 passengers were aboard. The Boeing 737, Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 from Baltimore to Chicago, slid off the runway at the northwest corner of the airport, through the boundary fence and into the roadway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's regional office in Chicago. The nose of the plane was crushed and a severely damaged engine was on the ground, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said. The airport, Chicago's second largest, is closely bordered by streets lined with homes and businesses. Snow caused traffic woes for travelers across the Midwest on Thursday, with as much as 10 inches of snow in some areas and 7 inches at Midway.